Welcome to the Curtis-Britch Funeral Homes, Inc. Childrens Room

Crystal Britch - Childrens Room Director

At Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Homes, we strive to provide the very best in professional care to the families we serve. We understand that every family has different needs, traditions, and customs; with that understanding, we take the time to personally guide each family through the many choices and options when making arrangements.

Our experience and facilities make us uniquely qualified to handle any arrangement.

~Members of both the National Funeral Directors Association and the Vermont Funeral Directors Association

~Personal & Caring Service~Serving All Faiths~Children's Room: Licensed Educator providing correct information about death to children ~Generous, unhurried atmosphere~English/French Speaking directors~Lending Library available to the community~Widow-Widowers Support Group~Winter Receiving Tomb on premises

A Resource of Help and Guidance...We understand that the grief process will probably be the most difficult experience for you in your life. Especially for those who are hurting, we have a developed a lending library at the Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Homes of books, videos, and pamphlets to assist with grief issues.

We have material on coping with the holidays, widowhood, suicide, children and death, and many other topics on bereavement and the grief process. Feel free to stop by and look over our selections.

Yes, Children Grieve, Too!

The first experience with loss is usually with "normal" life changes - such as changing schools, making new friends, and for the many - the loss of a pet. Children do experience sadness and grieve when they experience a loss. Children tend to express their feelings of loss through their behavior.

Curtis-Britch Converse-Rushford Funeral Homes have developed a Children's Room in Newport, Island Pond, and Barton that provides support and education for families.

How to help your children when they are grieving:

Offer your children a sense of community.

Offer your children good nutrition, exercise, adequate rest, and social interaction.

Offer your children opportunities to express their stories concerning the loved one's death.

Offer your children the opportunities for good memories; remembering, not forgetting.

Offer your children a variety of modalities to express their feelings, such as play groups, art activities, and reading feelings.

Offer your children safe environments to express their feelings.

Offer your children opportunities to talk about the loved one and reassure them it is O.K. to talk about the person who died.

Offer your children correct information on death and dying and talk to them in terms they can understand using the correct terminology. If you tell your children the person who died is sleeping, your children may be afraid to go to bed or take a nap.

Offer your children opportunities to participate in the funeral process and visit the grave site.

Offer your children opportunities to be consoled when they are sad.

Offer your children opportunities for professional services if you feel they are needed.

When your children suffer a loss they may experience one or more of the following:

They may experience feelings of abandonment and fear their caregivers will also die.

They may experience acute separation anxiety and unrealistic fantasies.

They may experience exaggerated fears and may be frightened of what will happen next.

They may experience shock and disbelief of the loved one's death.

They may experience feelings of anger and depression.

They may experience a sense of guilt and believe they may have somehow caused the death by things they say.

They may experience headaches and/or stomachaches and complain of physical illnesses more than usual.

They may experience changes in their behaviors.

They may experience feelings of wanting to be alone and/or wanting to be with adults more.

They may experience a reduced desire to do anything.

The Children's Rooms are offered to all families during their time of need. Crystal Britch calls families to determine to the level of need and the time when family members and the children can meet with her.

Crystal has created a program to represent correct information on death, dying, and grieving that meets the developmental needs of the children with a variety of materials. As she facilitates the educational and grieving information, she utilizes an assortment of materials which include a large book entitled My Body, a My Friend Doll, that has four faces to represent emotions associated with grieving, a set of Teddy Bears to be used while viewing the Loved One, and a workbook to be brought home and used with their parents.

This time with the children and their families offers the opportunity for family members to hear correct information on death and the funeral process. Not only is there information presented by Crystal, the children are encouraged to discuss their feelings and ask questions about the grieving process.

If you are interested in this service, we invite you to call Crystal Britch to discuss the program.